There is a secret behind the pioneering textile industry that almost completely dominates the luxury fabric market in the Kingdom of Krouk. The Sainz family, who for generations dominated the landscape on the outskirts of the capital city of Eldbourne with the fine wool they created, became the epitome of luxury and social status among the nobility and aristocracy. 

Their largest factories on the outskirts of Eldbourne have thousands of people working every day spinning yarn, weaving fabric, and ensuring that each product is of the highest quality. 

The strict management they provide is only to ensure the products they manage remain at a yield that meets their standards. 

Josep Sainz, despite the title of the youngest, manages to carry a lot of operations on his shoulders and always makes sure that nothing escapes his sight. 

"Don't let quality suffer," Josep once told the foreman at one of his factories. "If I find any untidiness due to incorrect spinning, I'll spin your whole finger." 

"I don't want our reputation to be ruined." 

No matter how bright the light of the Sainz family is, there is also a dark shadow that follows it. Although the business they developed was booming and looked so clean on the surface, it was all just to cover up a front that was so lucrative even though it felt so dangerous. A dark business run under the radar. 

The Sainz family has long been on a journey to operate an illegal trade network that spans from luxury smuggling, to opium trafficking, to the gambling houses at the centre of which the business is run. 

Despite being so calculating in every aspect of the business, it turns out that the brains behind this successful illicit operation came from Josep himself. 

One of the things he managed was opium smuggling through the Harbour not far to the north of Eldbourne. 

As the evening breeze caressed Josep's face, bringing with it the salty scent of the sea and the rancid odour of wet wood. The looming cargo ship slowly approached, docking to break the silence of the night. Although the darkness partially obscured the fading colours, Josep watched his workers closely as they unloaded several wooden crates hidden under a tumble of silk cloth. 

Emilio as one of his men began to walk over with a worried look on his face. 

"Mr. Josep," he whispered, "Today's supply is larger than yesterday's. Are you sure we can pass the surveillance safely?" 

It seemed that the risk of being caught was great, but Josep seemed calm enough to answer Emilio, "We've already made the calculations. Don't worry." 

Josep turned to the few officers who were staring at them from inside the office, as if not surprised by what they were doing. 

"I'm grateful that money is an expensive enough item to blindfold them at the moment. Continue 

as planned, they won't see anything tonight." Josep replied in a fairly stern tone. 

Although the worry was still so obvious, Emilio could only nod. As for Josep, the young man turned his attention to the other workers who were opening one of the crates. 

"Make sure this opium reaches the designated hands. Ledger and I will not hesitate to silence you if anyone smells anything wrong tonight." 

Then, the wooden crates were sealed and loaded onto a horse-drawn carriage that would take them to a secret storage on the edge of the city. This opium was the biggest revenue earner of all, not only distributed in the Eldbourne region, but would be sent to neighbouring provinces. 

"How long does it take to distribute?" Josep asked Emilio. 

"We'll start tomorrow night, sir. There are many people waiting for this item."

"Good," Josep replied coldly. "Make sure everything goes well. There are no mistakes or witnesses." 

But behind these nightly trips, Josep admits that the most lucrative, yet difficult to run operation is the smuggling of luxury goods. With high demand from high-profile royals to flaunt their wealth without official channels, the Sainz family also manages an international network of high value goods. These include jewellery, antique watches, and rare works of art. 

After leaving the harbour, Josep didn't go straight home. Instead, he went to one of his family's hidden warehouses. Josep carefully examined the new cargo that had arrived from abroad. Some of the silk-covered chests were filled with many rare jewellery and artefacts from Asia. 

Emilio approached Josep with the delivery list. 

"All these items will go to a private auction house next week, sir. Our main buyer is already interested in that one crown," Josep's gaze travelled straight to the crown expressionlessly. However, his mind was moved to calculate their profits. 

"Their offer was way above the market price." Emilio continued. 

"Make sure no one knows where this item came from. Create a scenario as if it was found in a private excavation. And don't forget," Josep paused to emphasise his last sentence to emphasise 

his seriousness. "Make sure the evidence of forgery is strong." 

Emilio nodded, understanding Josep's seriousness, "Then what about the jewellery request from the Duke of Valmor?" Josep thought for a moment. 

"They want the goods to arrive before the big party next month" Emilio's words were immediately answered by Josep. 

"Send it by sea, make sure the ship carrying the goods has perfect documentation. We can't risk land shipments with patrols getting tighter." 

Emilio took down all of Josep's instructions without hesitation. He knew that Josep's calm demeanour always had a keen calculation and full control of every operation of these luxury goods. 

While Josep controlled the trade, Ledger Sainz, the leader and main heir of the Sainz Family, was focused on managing the gambling house. Every time the skies turned dark, the aristocrats and wealthy businessmen from Eldbourne and 

beyond would gather there. It was a place where the money was flowing and Ledger would smartly capitalise on the weaknesses of the men and their own greed. 

One night, while Ledger was monitoring the gambling tables from the upper balcony, he noticed that a young nobleman who was quite famous in the social circle had just lost half of his fortune at the craps table. 

"He'll be back," Ledger said, smiling sarcastically at his henchman Ricardo,

"People like him will not be able to stop. When they lose, they will repeat themselves just to win again. And that's where we come in."

Ricardo nodded in agreement. "Do you want us to give him a little luck in the next round?" 

Ledger chuckled, of course he couldn't deny the humour. 

"No need, let him feel victorious himself. But, make sure that he has enough credits to keep playing. Don't let him go until he's completely exhausted." 

Ledger, who was still watching from a distance, saw the nobleman start walking towards the gambling house's treasury to borrow money. Ledger knew that the man would soon fall deeper into the debt trap that he himself had created. 

Manipulating the psychology of the greedy players is a major pawn in Ledger's success to control the atmosphere in his gambling house well. 

Even so, not many people knew about the gambling house to trading operation that belonged to the Sainz family. As if washing their hands of their own problems, they always have a way of doing it. 

However, behind the success of the two ambitious brothers, there is no denying that they need someone to manage their trust. Isabel Sainz. The middle child and only daughter of the Sainz family, who were famous for their luxurious lives and relationships with nobles and important people in society. This makes her a 

valuable supplier of information. 

Even though she looks so spoilt and playful, it turns out that she has a crucial role in the family business. Unlike her siblings who were always visible in some of the operations directly, Isabell was quite careful in touching all the darkness.

Her financial expertise allowed Isabell to keep herself under 

the watchful eye of her brothers. By tucking their ill-gotten gains into the family's legitimate textile business and keeping it looking squeaky clean in the eyes of the public and authorities. Like this warm afternoon, when the sunlight is still streaming through the windows. The Ledger hits the tall piles of documents. Behind the desk, Isabel stares at her brother. 

"Ledger, I've arranged for a portion of the gambling house's profits to be diverted to the new cloth factory east of Eldbourne." Isabel said. 

Ledger's gaze shifted out the window, his mind drifting away amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, even though the sky looked so calm with the afternoon light slowly fading. Leaving the room in a fairly dim light. 

Ledger, who was sitting casually on the chair in front of Isabell's desk, listened with half-interest. 

"Fine, as long as no one sniffs anything. We don't need to provide excessive surveillance." Hearing that, Isabell could only sigh softly before looking at her sister seriously,

"You have to be more careful. Josep has organised all of this so that no trace leads to us. Don't let you attract more attention." 

Ledger's reckless and often reckless behaviour has often led to many risks that have prompted Josep and Isabel to intervene directly. But, Ledger knows very well how important the security and confidentiality of their business is which sometimes his ambitious nature is so obvious. Ledger snorted but finally nodded, acknowledging Isabel's concern. 

"You worry too much, Sist. I understand that security is far more our priority." Ledger said, but he remembered something to break up the conversation this afternoon. "After all, the future duke will continue to protect all of this." 

Isabel understood that. Josep doesn't yet know he's on the doorstep.